Finger-nail trimmer



0. H. OESTERWITZ.v

FINGER NAIL TRIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1919.

1,363,164. Patented 1m 21, 1920.

1 5' I WENT J 12 I I Q.

GFFICE.

OTTO H. OESTERWITZ, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

FINGER-NAIL TRIMIVIER.

Application filed. July 2,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Or'ro H. Ons'rnnwrrz, acitizen of Germany, and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga,in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inFinger-Nail Trimmers, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in finger nail trimmers,and more particularly to the construction of the jaws by which the endsof the nails may be severed.

The main object is to provide the jaws with simple and efficient meansfor cutting the free edges of the nails uniform distances from theirjunction with the cuticle of the fingers, and at the same time to reduceto a minimum the possibility of cutting into the more sensitive portionsof the flesh.

In other words, I have sought to utilize the outer end of one jaw as agage adapted to enter between the free edge of the nail and fleshwithout crowding the flesh back, and also to serve as a support for thenail, while the other jaw carrying the cutting edge is brought intocutting coaction with the first-named jaw a certain distance from thefree edge of first-named jaw thereby assuring the cutting of the nails auniform distance from its junction with the cuticle and avoiding thepossibility of mutilating the flesh.

Other objects parts of the device will be the following description:

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a finger nail trimmer embodying thevarious features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same trimmingdevice in the operation of clipping a finger nail shown by dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the same device.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the jaws and their connectingpivot, the handles being broken away and the jaws in their closedposition.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5, Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the front end ofthe lower jaw.

As illustrated, this device comprises a pair of jaws -*1- and -2-pivoted to each and uses relating to specific brought out inSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

1919. Serial No. 308,208.

other at 3 and provided with suitable operating handles -l which arespring pressed apart to open the jaws by a spring The inner face of thejaw -1 is convexed in cross-section and extends a predetermined distancebeyond the outer end face of the cutting jaw -2- to form what may betermed a gage extension -6- adapted to enter between the free edges ofthe nail and cuticle or flesh of the finger for determining the marginof free nail to be left after severing the protruding edge thereof andwhich enables the nails of all the fingers to be trimmed with a uniformmargin without in any way crowding or mutilating the flesh during thecutting operation. In order that this gage extension 6- may readilyenter between the nail and flesh, it is made relatively thin by bevelingthe lower face -7 thereof at an acute angle to the upper face, Saidbeveled face -7- being concaved transversely to conform as closely aspossible to the transverse contour of the flesh adjacent the nail.

The outer end face of the jaw 2 is provided with a transverse recess -8extendingfrom the inner face thereof to a line a short distance from theouter face thus forming a transverse rib -9- which constitute the upperwall of the recess S-.

A cutting blade -l0 has its upper end seated in this recess -8 andagainst the rib 9 and is held in place by a clamping screw -1l-.

The outer face of the blade -10 is flat and its inner edge projects somedistance be yond the inner face of the main body of the jaw -2- towardthe jaw -1, the free inner edge thereof being beveled inwardly andforwardly from the outer fiat face so as to draw the severed portion ofthe nail away from the main body thereof during the cutting operation,and is concaved longitudinally to conform to the convex face 0 the jaw1-.

The distance between the axis of movement of the jaws and the outer faceof the cutting edge of the blade 10- is somewhat less than the distancebetween the same axis and outer end face of the jaw -1- so as to causesaid cutting edge to engage the inner face of the opposite jaw adistance from the outer ed e of the last-named jaw corresponding to thelength of the gage extension -6 and to leave a corresponding margin ofthe free portion of the nail.

The lower face of the extension 6 of the jaw 1 is concaved incross-section and substantially parallel with the convex upper face toconform to the transverse contour of the flesh of the finger adjacentthe nail, and in view of the fact that this extension is comparativelythin, it is evident that it may readily enter between the nail and'fleshof'the finger without crowding the fleshy part of the end of the fingerback, and enables the extension to be used as a gage to assure thecuttingof the nails to a uniform margin corresponding to the distancebetween the extreme end edge of the jaw -1- and line of engagementtherewith of the cuttingedgeof the blade l0-.

This distance is preferably determined by a score line l2 slightlyindented in the convex surface of the with the cutting edge of the blade-l0- and to assure contact of all portions of'said cutting edge withsaid convex surface all of which adds materially to the usefulness ofthe device and permits it to be used with equal facility in either handfor trimming jaw l to register the nails of the other hand withoutliability of mutilation of the fleshy part of the finger.

What I claim is:

A finger nail trimmer comprising a pair of jaws pivoted to each otherand provided with operating handles, one of the jaws having a cuttingblade the outer face of which is fiat and the inner face of its cuttingedge beveled to draw the severed portion from the main body of the nailduring the cutting operation, the other jaw having its face adjacent thecutting edge of the blade extended beyond the fiat outer face of saidblade when the jaws are together and provided with a transverse scoreregistering with the cutting edge of the blade, the outer end of saidother beyond the score jaw being beveled to a relatively thin edge toreadily enter between the nail and the flesh without crowding the fleshback. 7

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

orro H. onsrnnwrrzl lVitnesses E. M. FRADENBURGH, M. L. QUINELL.

